Military 101 - Your complete Armed Forces Resource, GI Bill Info

it' Military 101 - Your complete Armed Forces Resource, GI Bill Info

Armed Forces

Welcome to Military101.com, your best source for information on the resources available to those who serve, and those who have served in the US Armed Forces. With an ever increasing number of people enlisting in the US Armed Forces, more and more people are becoming eligible for the benefits available to those in the military. >From joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps to getting money for college with the Montgomery G.I. Bill to getting a loan for a house, opportunities are numerous for those who have served. The goal of Military101.com

ENLIST

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (A.S.V.A.B.) Test
Anyone who is seriously considering joining the Armed Forces, needs to seriously consider taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (A.S.V.A.B.). The test, given at 14,000 schools across the country, is maintained by the Department of Defense and tests in four areas critical for success in the military: Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Mathematics Knowledge. The score an applicant receives on these four areas count toward their Armed Forces Qualifying Test (A.F.Q.T.). The four other parts of the test, Auto and Shop Information, General Science, Mechanical Comprehension, and Electronics Information, determine the applicants qualifications for certain military specialties. The test takes approximatly three hours to take, with 2 hours 14 minutes of actual test taking time.

Active Duty
In order for a person to be eligible for Active Duty, they must be between the ages of 17 and 34, be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien, be healthy and in good physical condition, and be in good moral standing. Their are five steps key to enlisting for Active Duty in todays Armed Forces. The first is to talk to a recruiter, who will have all of the answers to any questions you might have about being on Active Duty. The recruiter will be able to tell you about terms of service, benefits and pay scales, where you might serve, what kind of training you will receive, and everything else you might want to know. Click on the branch of service to find a recruiter in your area: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard. Step two is for you take the A.S.V.A.B. Step three is to visit one of the numerous Military Entrance Processing Stations (M.E.P.S.) located across the country, and enlist in the service. Step four is to choose a Military Occupational Specialty (M.O.S.) which will gear your training in the Armed Forces toward getting a job once your service is complete. Step five is getting through Basic Training. By giving 100% of what you've got, anyone can get on Active Duty.

Army Reserves
In order for a person to be eligible to enlist in the Army Reserves, they must be between the ages of 17 and 34, be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien, be healthy and in good physical condition, and be in good moral standing. The Army Reserves work closely with the Active Army and the National Guard on American soil, as well as around the world. While in the Army Reserves, soldiers get to serve while remaining close to home and pursue a civilian career while serving in the Reserves. The extra income earned in the Reserves allows soldiers to build up a military retirement and continue their education.

National Guard
As a part of the US Army for the last 366 years, the National Guard consists of civilians who serve their country one weekend each month and two weeks during the summer. The National Guard serves in several different arenas, assisting the President of the United States in federal missions at home and abroad. To contact a National Guard recruiter for more information, click here.

EDUCATION

Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.)
One of the many ways that the Armed Forces helps people pay for college is through Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) programs and over 600 colleges and universities across the country. R.O.T.C. courses help to strengthen leadership skills and help to create good officers for today's military. Each of the branches of service offers an R.O.T.C. program, it just depends on which schools they offer classes at. Several scholarships do exist for R.O.T.C. students and are based on merit. The main considerations for these scholarships are: High school academic record, SAT or ACT scores, extracurricular activities, and a personal interview. Many of these scholarships are for 2, 3 or 4 years, and many cover tuition costs up to $68,000, with living expenses up to $4,000 per year.

For information on the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (J.R.O.T.C.), for High School students, click here.

Montgomery G.I. Bill
Perhaps the most used benefits of being in the Armed Forces is that of the Montgomery G.I. Bill. The G.I. Bill gives up to $1,004 per month (over $36,000 per year) to students at a regionally or nationally accredited college or university who served at least 2 years on active duty, who have complete high school or taken the G.E.D., and were Honorably Discharged or discharged "under honorable conditions." The money gotten through the G.I. Bill can then be used toward paying tuition at the school where the soldier is enrolled. To get more information on the GI Bill directly from the VA, call toll free 1-888-GI-BILL-1, or got to the G.I. Bill website.

MONEY

VA Loans
One of the many benefits for veterans of the Armed Forces is getting a Military (V.A.) Guaranteed Loan to get money to buy a house. The process is fairly simple. First, you have to apply for and receive a Certificate of Eligibility. Next, you have to find a home to live in and discuss the purchase with the seller or selling agent. Third, you must sign a purchase contract on approval of the V.A. Guaranteed Loan. Next, the Certificate of Eligibility must be completed. Next, you select a lender and present them with your completed Certificate of Eligibility and complete the loan application. The Lender will then determine your credit, and the V.A. will have the veterans home appraised. The lender or the V.A. will then issue a value on the property for loan purposes. The Loan will be approved if all parties and the lender determine that you are credit and income qualified. Once the Loan is approved, you attend the loan closing and sign the note and mortgage. And thats it. Your Certificate of Eligibility explains how monthly payments will me made.

BRANCH SUMMARIES

	Army The first US Army was formed in July 1775 for the American Revolutionary War, and has essentially remained the same since then. The only major change occurred in 1941, when the Army of the United States was established. Following the Vietnam War, that Army was discontinued (as was the Draft), and the US Army "began" again. The US Army consists of those soldiers on Active Duty, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserves, which act as "back-ups" for the Active Duty soldiers. The use of solders in the Army Reserves and the National Guard has slowly increased overtime since the Vietnam War, with Reserve and Guard units participating in the Gulf War in the 1990's and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
	Navy Although the Department of the Navy was established by Congress in 1798, the Navy was officially established in 1947 as a part of the Department of Defense. The Navy is comprised of the 2nd through 7th Fleets, which each serve in a different sector of the globe. Several different classes of ships are used through the Navy and make up the Fleets. Some of these classes include: Aircraft carriers, submarines, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and battleships. Perhaps the most well-known military air-craft is that of the Navy's F-14 Tomcat, made famous in the movie 1986 Top Gun. Several former Presidents of the United States served in the Navy, including: George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Richard M. Nixon.
	Marines The United States Marine Corps was originally founded as a branch of the US Armed Forces in 1775, during the American Revolutionary War. Over time, the Corps developed into a highly specialized branch of service that "shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore, as the President, at his discretion, shall direct." As the lines from the Marine Corps Hymn suggest, the Marines have actively served in nearly every combat theater across the globe. The "gung-hoe" attitude of the Corps, and their motto "Semper Fidelis" ("Always faithful") are two of the most well-known aspects of the U.S.M.C. Three infamous former Marines are Lee Harvey Oswald, Clayton Lonetree and Charles Whitman.
	Air Force Created as a separate branch of the Armed Forces in September 1947, the United States Air Forces mission is "to defend the United States and protect its interests through air and space power." Since then, the Air Force has seen combat and assisted in aid in Eastern Germany (1948), South Korea (1950), the Middle East (1991), as well as other theaters across the globe. In 1954, the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs CO opened, and accepted only men applicants until the mid-1970's, when the first woman graduated from the USAFA in 1976. Most recently, the Air Force has taken part in the war against Iraq as the leading force in maintaining the "no-fly" zones over northern and southern Iraq.
	Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard was established as one of the branches of service in January 1915, and serves as the "1st Fleet" in the Department of Defense. As the smallest armed service in of the US military forces, the Coast Guards missions are: maritime safety, maritime mobility, maritime security, national defense and the protection of national resources. Perhaps the most well-known duty of the Coast Guard is that of performing maritime Search and Rescue missions. Many well-known Americans have served in the US Coast Guard, including: actors Humphrey Bogart, Lloyd Bridges and Cesar Romero, newscaster Walter Cronkite, golfer Arnold Palmer, football great Otto Graham, and professional boxer Jack Dempsey.

Military Resources

ROTC
Montgomery G.I. Bill